One would like to think that everyone is entitled to be happy at work, however, many employees are not (there has been a rise in Employment Tribunal cases, see gov.uk). The reality is - there is no legal right to be happy at work. That said, if you are unhappy because you are being bullied or harassed there may be some good news coming your way because The Bullying and Respect at Work Bill has been recently introduced to make it mandatory for businesses to set up formal mechanisms for reporting and investigating bullying.
It should be noted that currently there is no legal definition for bullying, however, according to gov.uk the following is an example of bullying or harassing behaviour:
· spreading malicious rumours
· unfair treatment
· picking on or regularly undermining someone
· denying someone’s training or promotion opportunities
Bullying and harassment can happen:
· face-to-face
· by letter
· by email
· by phone
The challenge with this proposed Bill will be reaching a consensus on defining bullying and how is it going to be enforced.
Suggestions are welcomed.
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